Pneumatic cleaning-machine.



M. S. WRIGHT.

PNEUMATIG lCLEANING MACHNE. APPLICATION FILED 111111: 4, 1910.

1,078,397, Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON D c M. S. WRIGHT.

PNEUMATIC CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 4, 1910.

M@ @Hmmm 6x cuLuMBlA PLANounAPM c0..w^smNo'ruN, D. c.

MORRIS S. WRIGHT, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

PNEUMATIC CLEANING-MACHINE.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Mounts S. Winer-rr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of `Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Cleaning-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The present invention relates to pneumatic cleaning systems of the type wherein is employed means for gathering dust or the like into a receptacle through the medium of pneumatics or vacuum creating means associated with the receptacle.

More particularly the present invention has to deal with the construction and ar- .rangement of the pneumatics and parts thereof together with novel means for mounting the latter.

Further, the invention includes means whereby ready access may be obtained to the valve mechanism between the dust receiving receptacle and the actuating pneumatics, and also novel valve mechanism for the pneumatics.

rlhe novel details in construction and arrangement of parts will be more particularly referred to hereinafter in the detailed description which, for a clear understanding of the invention, should be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and wherein is disclosed for the purpose 0f illustration a convenient embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus, Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, A designates a wind-chest or dust receptacle, the same comprising a bottom 1, top 2, sides 3, back l, and an open front adapted for the reception of a. remov- Y able drawer 5, the front- 5 of which constitutes the front of the wind-chest and overlies the walls thereof.

The numeral 5 designates a tube or the like fitted in an aperture 5b of the front wall 5au of the drawer, said tube being of the type generally in use and adapted to play over a surface to be cleaned.

Mounted upon the top wall 2 of the windchest is the vacuum creating means preferably comprising double acting exhausting Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led June 4, 1910.

Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

sensu no. 565,075.

bellows or pneumatics and constructed as follows: l() and 10 are vertically extending relatively stationary back boards for the bellows conveniently extending from front to back of the wind-chest and secured to the top wall thereof in any desired manner, preferably by thumb screws 11 projecting through the top wall 2 of the wind-chest and operable from the interior of the windchest upon the removal of the drawer 5.

12 is a movable section of the bellows arranged intermediate of the stationary boards 10 and 10a and constituting a partition to make the bellows double acting. The movable partition 12 and the stationary boards 10 and 10a are connected by the folding webs or diaphragms 13 of ordinary construction.

On the top wall of the wind-chest is provided a recessed member 14 adapted for the reception of a hinge block 15, the member 14 being secured conveniently by thumb screws 16 in the top of the wind-chest. The hinge block is provided with recesses and lugs adapted to register with the same parts in the lower' end of the movable partition l2 and a pintle 17 passing through the interlocking portions of the hinged block and partition constitutes an efficient pivot and one which is strong and durable. Folds of lea-ther or the like 18 are arranged on opposite sides of the movable partition 12 at the hinged end thereof to prevent leakage of the air at the hinged connection.

The top wall of the wind-chest A is provided with one or more openings 19 and 19a respectively on opposite sides of the movable partition 12. These openings establish communicati on between the interior of t-he windchest and the exhausting bellows and valves of any desired construction are provided for opening and closing the openings on opposite sides of the partition alternately. The construction of valves shown comprise members 20 hinged at one side 20a to the top surface of the wind-chest and arranged to automatically swing about the pivotal connection to open or close communication between the wind-chest and exhausting bellows according to the operation of the latter.

Each of the stationary back boards of the bellows is provided with one or more openings 21, three of such openings being shown for the purpose of illustration. These openings are adapted to be closed and opened by a novel construction of flap valve to be now described. It has been customary to form valves for this purpose of leather or the like, but it has been found in practice that the material could not be formed sufficiently thin to provide the necessary fiexibility without being pervious to air. The present construction of valve is designed to overcome these difficulties and with this in view the body 22 of the valve is formed of flexible material conveniently leather, and adjacent each of the openings 2l is a relatively rigid or thickened material which shall be termed for convenience reinforcing disks 23, which disks are secured in any desired manner as by gluing to the outer surface of the body members 22. These reinforcing disks may be constructed of any desired material, as leather or rubber and with the backing of the body portion 22 of the valve will constitute an efficient closure for the openings 21 and a closure impervious to the air. Again by arranging the reinforcing disks upon the outer surface of the body portion 22, the body portion itself is not hardened but will remain sufliciently soft to pr vent its impact upon the back boards 10 and 10a hardly noticeable thereby obviating any additional noise incident to the reinforcing feature. The body portions of the valves are secured at their upper ends in any convenient manner as by tacks 2st to the outer surface of the stationary boards 10 and 10, and spring members 25 secured respectively to the lower ends of the body of the valves and said stationary boards tend to hold the valves in closed or flat position against the sides of said boards. The spring members are conveniently in the form of spirals projecting outwardly at an incline at the opposite sides of the valve body adjacent the lower end thereby tending to more firmly hold all portions of the valve flat when in closed position. Means are provided for preventing any unnecessary lateral play of the valves and guiding the same in their movement which means comprise guide members 26 secured to the outer surface of the boards 10 and lOfL adjacent the lower ends of the valves and overlapping the same while permitting vertical movement of the lower ends of said valves. The valves 22 have at their lower end on their outer surface a reinforce part 2Ga which in the movement of the valve will engage the lower edge of the guide 26 and thus limit the movement of said valve.

A. frame comprising upright side support-s 27 and a connecting top member 28 is secured to the wind chest in any desired manner the top member 2S having an elongated slot 29 therein for the reception and guidance of a projecting rod 30 secured in any desired manner to a cup shaped member l2b fitting in a recess in the movable partition 12 and securing by a cap 121. The projecting member 30 constitutes a handle or operating member to be engaged by the hand of the user for imparting reciprocating movement to the movable partition 12 about its pivotal connection, said movement being guided by the slot 29 in the guide member 2S and the ends of said slot constituting means for limiting' the movement of the operating handle in either direction. The handle as well as the parts 12a and 12b are preferably of metallic formation.

Means is provided for extending the base portion of the apparatus whereby the several parts are more firmly supported when the machine is in operation, the said means however being collapsible whereby the same will offer no substantial obstruction or protuberance when the machine is in use. This means, which is termed an extensible platform section and may constitute a foot rest for the operator, comprises a substantially flat body 31 pivoted at its inner end by hinged members 32 to the side 3 of the wind-chest in a manner to constitute a continuation of the bottom 1 of the wind-chest when in lowered position and to rest upon the surface.

The operation may be briefly described as follows: T he extended base or platform having been lowered, the operator grasps the projecting handle 30 and moves the same back and forth about its pivot at the lower end thereof. This reciprocating movement of the movable partition alternately collapses the respective bellows. lVhen one of the bellows is collapsed the valves 22 will be forced outwardly from engagement with the boards 10 and 10a against the action of the springs 25 thereby uncovering the opening 21 for the emission of air and when a bellows is expanded it draws air through the valve openings 20, the reverse operations taking place at the same time in the other bellows as is apparent.

The vacuum created in the wind-chest by the exhausting bellows draws into the chest the dust laden air. Should it be necessary to gain access to the interior of the exhausting bellows or the valves 20, it is only necessary to remove the drawer 5, when the operator can readily remove the thumb screws l1 and 16, thereby releasing the connection between the exhausters and the vacuum chamber or wind-chest. Then released, the exhausters may be removed for the purpose of replacing, cleansing or repairing of parts.

:t claim:

l. In a vacuum creating bellows and in combination, a bellows board having a plurality of exhaust ports therein, a flexible strip secured at one end to the board and extending over the openings, and a plurality of coiled springs attached to the corners of the opposite end of the strip tending to yieldingly stretch the strip and maintain it in position over the openings.

2. In a vacuum creating bellows and in over the openings, one end of the strip being combination, a bellows board having a plupermanently secured to the board, a cross 15 rality of exhaust ports therein, a flexible guide for the opposite end of the strip, and strip secured at one end to the board and coiled springs secured to the corners of the 5 extending over the openings, and a pluralfree end of the strip and to the board for ity of diagonally arranged coiled springs atmaintaining the strip in a taut condition. tached to the corners oi' the opposite end of In testimony whereof I affix my signature 2O the strip tending to yieldingly stretch the in presence of two witnesses. strip. and maintain it in position over the MORRIS S WRIGHT 10 openlngs.

3. In a Vacuum creating bellows, and in Witnesses: combination a bellows board having a plu- HENRY P. MURRAY, rality of openings, and a flexible strip placed ALVIN J. DANIELS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

